How to Survive in a Post–Pretty Little Liars World

Pretty Little Liars is over, and we need something new to live for.

Okay, maybe that’s dramatic, but if you’re a huge fan of the show or loved the Pretty Little Liars novels by Sara Shepard as much as we did, you need something to cure your series finale blues!

We’ll never be able to replace Emily, Aria, Spencer, Alison, and Hanna, but we were able to round up a few books, shows, and podcasts that are full of the same thrilling mysteries and social dramas that made us fall in love with PLL in the first place! Check out our best picks below.

via Giphy

Read these books:

One of Us Is Lying

By Karen M. McManus

What happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive? You get the insanely addictive novel One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus. The book centers around five students who probably remind you of people you know from high school: the brain, the beauty, the criminal, the athlete, and the outcast.

By the end of detention one of them is dead—and according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. Did one of the other students in detention kill Simon to keep him from gossiping about them? Or is the real killer still at large? One of Us Is Lying makes you question how far you’d be willing to go in order to protect your secrets.

Little Monsters

By Kara Thomas

If you loved the murder-mystery component of Pretty Little Liars (like finding out who “A” is!), then you’ll love reading about Kacey, Bailey, and Jade in Little Monsters, a new psychological thriller by Kara Thomas that tackles themes like appearance versus reality and the power of manipulation among teenage girls.

Little Monsters follows Kacey, the new girl in Broken Falls. When she moves in with her dad and stepfamily, she is welcomed into a seemingly perfect life away from her dysfunctional mom. Kacey quickly befriends Bailey and Jade, but the friendship takes a confusing turn. Then the mysterious disappearance of Bailey leaves the community reeling. Kacey quickly learns that Broken Falls may not be so welcoming after all—especially to the new girl.

Genuine Fraud

By E. Lockhart

If you thought A was bad, get ready for Jule, the star of the upcoming psychological thriller by E. Lockhart. Jule refuses to give people what they want from her and her diabolical smarts keep people guessing at every turn. But how many lies are too many? You be the judge.

The Thousandth Floor

By Katharine McGee

The Thousandth Floor has all the juiciness, scandals, and secrets of PLL, but is set is one hundred years in the future. In the year 2118, the inhabitants of New York City live in a massive thousand-story tower. Their lives might seem glamourous, but in this world, the higher you go, the farther there is to fall. Sign. Us. Up.

Don't You Cry

By Mary Kubica

Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace, leaving her roommate and friend Quinn Collins to sort through the mysterious pieces of her hidden life. If that wasn’t disturbing enough, Esther’s phone starts getting eerie calls from someone looking for Esther . . . or someone like Esther but with a different name. Like some of our favorite characters in Pretty Little Liars, Quinn questions how well she really knew her friend. Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica shows us yet again that no matter how fast and far we run, the past has a way of always catching up with us.

Watch these shows:

via IMDB

Famous in Love

Famous in Love has the same executive producer as Pretty Little Liars, I. Marlene King, and stars our girl crush Bella Thorne. So that’s pretty much a win-win, right?

The show follows Paige (Bella Thorne) as she gets her big break, starring in a Hollywood blockbuster. Paige has to figure out how to navigate celebrity life, along with school, friends, lovers, and, of course, Hollywood drama.

via IMDB

Riverdale

Riverdale is already a smash hit, but the second season of the show doesn’t start airing until October, so there is still time catch up! Based on the popular Archie comics, Riverdale starts with a mysterious murder that goes unsolved throughout season 1, which will keep every PLL fan on their toes!

The Perfectionists

If you were addicted to Pretty Little Liars, then you’ll love The Perfectionists, which is currently in production. The novel of the same name was written by PLL author Sara Shepard and is about five high school students who realize they have something in common: a hatred of a popular jerk named Nolan, who has done awful things to each of them.

The Perfectionists show may involve multiple characters from the Pretty Little Liars universe! Fans have noticed that two characters appearing in the final two episodes of PLL have the same names as characters in The Perfectionists novel, and many have guessed that The Perfectionists will follow Emily Fields and Alison DiLaurentis as they move to Washington together to pursue a new life. Fingers crossed!

Listen to these podcasts:

If you lived for the mystery in Pretty Little Liars, then you’ve got to check out Criminal, a podcast that discusses the sociological, historical, even anthropological aspects of real crimes. Phoebe Judge has a similar style to Sarah Koenig, host of the wildly popular podcast Serial. The best part? Criminal episodes are short and sweet, making them perfect to listen to on the go!

Listeners swear by this podcast because it covers tough topics that we all have dealt with in some way, like bullying, losing a friend, mental health, and divided families. We love PLL because it explores issues of our generation in an interesting way, and this podcast is a great way to dive a little deeper into those issues!

The Moth’s mission is to promote the art of storytelling and to honor and celebrate the diversity and commonality of the human experience. Although this classic podcast has been around for some time, The Moth is always fresh, with stories covering a wide spectrum of experiences—all of them true and authentic, which we love!

Let us know what you think of these picks and tell us about other PLL–inspired favorites @GetUnderlined!